Multi-day mountain trek
A checklist for a multi-day mountain trek: permits and route registration, insurance with evacuation cover, layered gear, and a high-altitude first aid kit.

[ ] Choose a route within your fitness
    Plan gradual elevation gain with a rest day every few days. Altitude sickness is not something to shrug off — learn its symptoms (headache, nausea, insomnia) in advance so you can catch it in yourself or your group early.
[ ] Get any required trekking permits
    Many popular routes require paid permits, sometimes date-restricted or requiring a guide. Check the specific park or region's rules ahead of time — rangers can turn you back at the trailhead without one.
[ ] Register your route and timeline
    Leave your route and dates with a trusted contact and, where available, local rescue services before you leave. If something goes wrong, they'll search where you said you'd be — not where you actually are.
[ ] Buy insurance covering trekking and evacuation
    A standard travel policy usually excludes high-altitude trekking. Get one that explicitly covers trekking up to your route's maximum altitude AND includes helicopter evacuation as a separate line item.
[ ] Pack an expanded first aid kit
    Beyond the basics: an elastic bandage for sprains, hydrocolloid blister plasters (regular ones don't hold up over multiple days), and an antihistamine for allergic reactions and stings.
[ ] Ask a doctor about altitude sickness medication
    Take altitude sickness medication only after a doctor's consultation — it has contraindications and side effects that can be riskier than the altitude sickness itself if misused.
[ ] Pack SPF 50 sunscreen and category 3–4 sunglasses
    At altitude, UV exposure is 30–50% stronger than at sea level — snow and thin air intensify it. Regular sunglasses won't cut it; you need category 3–4 lenses with side coverage against snow blindness.
[ ] Break in your trekking boots beforehand
    New boots on a multi-day trek are a guaranteed blister factory. Use trekking socks, not cotton — cotton holds moisture and chafes once it's wet.
[ ] Pack clothing in layers
    Base layer wicks moisture, insulating layer holds warmth, shell blocks wind and rain. In the mountains you can hit all four seasons in a single day.
[ ] Pack a hat and gloves even in summer
    Temperatures drop sharply at altitude and on passes regardless of the season in the valley. A lightweight set weighs almost nothing, and you'll be miserable on an exposed ridge without it.
[ ] Bring trekking poles
    On descents with a loaded pack, poles take real strain off your knees. On a multi-day route the difference is obvious by day two.
[ ] Fit your backpack to your back
    A properly fitted pack shifts weight to your hips instead of your shoulders — the difference between tired and in pain by day's end. Don't forget the rain cover.
[ ] Pick a sleeping bag rated for your actual nights
    Rate your sleeping bag for the nights on the route itself, not the valley at the trailhead — nighttime temperatures at altitude can run 15–20°C colder.
[ ] Bring a water filter or purification tablets
    Plan on 2+ liters of water per person per day, plus a way to refill from streams along the way — carrying all your water for several days isn't realistic.
[ ] Pack calorie-dense food plus an emergency reserve
    Choose food that's calorie-dense but light to carry, plus a separate untouched reserve for one extra day — routes often take longer than planned.
[ ] Bring a headlamp with spare batteries
    You'll need it for pre-dawn starts, late camp chores, and in case the day's hike runs past sunset.
[ ] Prepare offline navigation and a paper map
    Download the route as an offline track, carry a power bank, and pack a paper map as backup — electronics drain and glitch faster in the mountains than they do at home.
[ ] Pack a whistle and an emergency blanket
    They weigh almost nothing — a whistle carries where your voice won't, and a foil blanket genuinely prevents hypothermia if you're forced to stop and wait.
[ ] Check the weather window before setting out
    Check the forecast for the route's actual area and elevation, not the nearest valley town — mountain weather changes fast and very locally.
[ ] Plan a bailout option from any point
    Work out ahead of time how to descend quickly from any point on the route if weather turns or someone gets sick. A decision made calmly beforehand beats one made under pressure on the trail.
[ ] Weigh your pack and cut the excess
    Your pack shouldn't exceed roughly 20% of your body weight. Weigh it at home and ruthlessly cut anything you can live without.
[ ] Give close ones checkpoints and a call time
    Agree in advance: if you haven't checked in by a set time, they call rescuers instead of waiting a bit longer. A clear rule saves critical time in an emergency.

Checklist from Unload: https://unloads.me/c/mountain-trek